Odd Names, Myths and Legends Of The Scottish Hills

[Inchlaggan]

"The Well of the Heads" by Stuart McHardy is another good one- that is where the Scottish Myths and Legends quiz was checked . His other books "MacPherson's Rant" (tales of the Scottish fiddle), "The Silver Chanter" (Piper Tales), and "School of the Moon" (cattle reiving) are worth having.

"This is my Country" by W Gordon Smith is a great anthology of writing on Scotland/by Scots.

"Place Names of Glen Garry and Glen Quoich" by Edward Ellice is a bit too specific for many, but fascinating to me.

[Fishtales]

Quite an amusing story from the first few pages of the 'Borders' book.

'A solitary spot is that little dwelling of Birkhill,
and the shepherd's wife there has been sorely put
to it more than once by later marauders than
Dundee's dragoons. They tell how a rough-handed
tramp entered the humble doorway one summer
afternoon, and, seeing only a single woman in
possession, threatened to make free with the
movable property. He was about to lay hands
on one of the hanks of yarn that were hanging
from the kitchen rafters, when Janet, the shep-
herd's wife, stopped him with the sudden question,
" My man, did onybody see ye come in here ? "
The fellow gruffly answered " No ! " " Then," said
the good woman, with ill-boding energy, "deevil
a ane'll see ye gang oot. Lassie, bring me the
axe ! " The tramp at this intimation, they say,
displayed an unusual amount of activity in dis-
appearing up the road, and the worthy Janet made
no endeavour to call him back. The inhabitants
of so lonely a spot have need to be able to care
for themselves. '

[squeakytyres]

This is great reading thank you. There is so much on your forum. 

[Inchlaggan]

Some hill feature names only exist in folk tales or local memories and will never appear on OS Maps.
In only a few cases will we know the full story, and then we tend to rely on written records as we doubt the folk tales.
This despite the fact that, up until relatively recent times, folk tales were the only method of communicating history.
One wee peat hag (Blar Nighean Ban) on Skye has an interesting tale to challenge some of the above-

In 1841 a daughter was born to  Donald and Margaret Macpherson at Pienachorran, Braes, Skye. Named Christina she was a blonde bombshell (nicknamed Nighean ban – white girl) and as she grew up working on the croft attracted many suitors. As she approached her 21st birthday she made her choice from amongst the young men and disappointed many.

On the afternoon of 15th October 1861 she climbed a short way up the slopes of Ben Lee to collect peats from the stack. She carried a large wicker basket on her back, secured in part by a leather headband across her forehead. As darkness fell she had not returned home and her younger brother, Alexander, was sent to look for her.

And found her dead –strangled by the headband.

Though the Procurator Fiscal (Donald Mackenzie) registered the cause of death as "accidental" on 7th November 1861, her family and the rest of Braes knew different.

The morning after her death, one of the spurned suitors was found to be missing. He was last seen by Portree harbour boarding a boat and headed out to sea. He was never to be seen again.

His family were shunned, and not spoken to.

Years later, Alexander, received a surprise letter from Hong Kong. The letterhead gave the name of a Glasgow shipping company and the name of the vessel from which it had been sent. Dated but unsigned the note was brief- "Nighean Ban may now R.I.P.".

Alexander knew what this meant and visited the spurned suitor's parents. He was welcomed into the cottage and he gave them the news that their son was dead. The father replied "He has been dead to us since the last day you and I spoke."

In the more modern era it is possible to examine many records online, not least those of deaths, and the coming and going of ships. The name of the vessel, the date and location in the letter give a starting point.

Uncle Google and Auntie Visa come into their own and a few clicks later----

There had been an accident aboard the vessel a few days before the date of the letter. A Scottish engineer had fallen to his death whilst alone in the engine room. He was simply know as "Jock Scot" and had neither passport nor papers, nor known address nor next of kin. He took his pay in cash, had a fondness for drink and had been fined for being drunk on watch several times. He had been drinking ashore before returning to duty- case closed.

Two days before the accident, a new engineer had joined the crew- a Donald Macpherson of Pienachorran, Braes, Isle of Skye.

Peats are no longer cut from Blar Nighean Ban.

Alexander moved to Edinburgh, no longer a crofter but a fisherman. He proved once and for all that fishing is good for you by fathering a daughter when he was 57, naming her Christina after his murdered (and avenged) sister.  He told his young daughter Nighean Ban's story, and left her the letter when he died aged 71 in 1917.

Christina often told the tale of the lost aunt she had never known, her daughter thought it "just old stories", but she kept the letter when Christina died.

Christina was my maternal grandmother.

Now you know why my boat is named "Nighean Ban".

[Fishtales]

This is great reading thank you. There is so much on your forum. 

You mean 'our' forum, it is your forum too.

[Wildfisher]

Ken, that is a great story. 

[Wildfisher]

You mean 'our' forum, it is your forum too.

Indeed Sandy. The community is it's members. 

[squeakytyres]

That's very nice of you to say fishtales. Thanks